Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for McGregor Gardens Aged Care is 4.45 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
78% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
78% positive in 2026, compared with 89% in 2025: 11 percentage points lower.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% across other homes.
Sources and Explanation
This is a programmatic interpretation of published data, not an in-person inspection or a separate expert-assigned score. The figures are the Elderberry Index and its four government component ratings; a measure the home has no published rating for is left out. Our rating methodology.
Ratings: August 2026. Survey comparisons: 2026 interview responses from that extract. Other Australian homes in the same ratings extract; survey comparisons also require the same interview year. Each eligible home has equal weight; missing/invalid values excluded. These are descriptive comparisons, not resident-weighted or adjusted for differences in care needs.
How findings are selected
Survey gaps of at least 3 percentage points, rating gaps of at least 0.3 stars, and changes of at least 10 percentage points can qualify. These are editorial selection thresholds, not tests of statistical significance. Benchmarks need at least 30 homes. Each side shows up to three eligible findings; missing values never become negative findings. Specific combined food evidence and sustained care-target results are prioritised, then larger differences. Respect and caring are grouped when both qualify.
Food spending uses the My Aged Care sector median for Jan–Mar 2026; resident enjoyment comes from the 2026 survey. The combined finding reports two separate observations from different reporting periods; it does not establish that spending caused the survey result. Year-to-year survey samples may differ and respondent counts are unavailable. Care consistency uses the latest four submitted, quality-checked care-minute records and direct RN minutes without EN top-up.
A lower compliance rating is a comparison with other homes, not a claim of an active sanction. Higher expenditure alone is not treated as better care. Unadjusted clinical incident measures are not used to rank quality here.
My Aged Care home profile · Government Star Ratings extract
Benchmark populations
| Measure | Mean | Other homes |
|---|---|---|
| Elderberry Index | 3.81 | 2365 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2395 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.26% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about McGregor Gardens Aged Care?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 67% of residents surveyed at McGregor Gardens Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 80.3% average across other homes by 13.3 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they feel safe (83% against 96.3%) and whether they get the care they need (83% against 94.4%).
At McGregor Gardens Aged Care, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 6 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 56% answered “always”, 11% “most of the time”, 22% “some of the time” and 11% “never”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at McGregor Gardens Aged Care, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 95% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities and 89% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
What is the food like at McGregor Gardens Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at McGregor Gardens Aged Care for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 78% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 89% in 2025. Another 17% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, McGregor Gardens Aged Care spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.17 per resident per day, 39% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
McGregor Gardens Aged Care reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
78% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does McGregor Gardens Aged Care spend on resident care?
Total spending at McGregor Gardens Aged Care in the 2024–25 financial year was $364.98 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 66.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $242.21 was 9% below the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($44.86), administration ($25.09), and cleaning and laundry ($19.40) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($135.36) and registered nurses ($51).
How much care and nursing does McGregor Gardens Aged Care provide?
McGregor Gardens Aged Care reported 211 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 210 minutes. Registered nurses provided 43 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 43.
McGregor Gardens Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 208 to 215 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 211 minutes, personal care workers provided 163 (77.3%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 20.4%) and enrolled nurses (5 minutes, 2.4%). McGregor Gardens Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
